


Ain't that Great

by cloudy_skies



Category: Free!, Free! Eternal Summer - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Future Fish Au, Genderbending, Genderswap, Humor, Nude Modeling, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Stubborn Haruka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-14 03:45:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4549011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudy_skies/pseuds/cloudy_skies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As an elective, Sousuke tries figure drawing to fill up the slot only to discover that Nanase Haruka is the nude model for the class. Or it’s the story of how Sousuke and Haruka start dating without making it official and Sousuke gives himself a headache over it. Soufem!Haru.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ain't that Great

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story they belong respectfully to Kouji Ouji, Hiroko Utsumi, Kyoto Animation.  
> Warning: Themes of genderbending, heterosexual couples instead of yaoi for once and whatever, you know all that good stuff, some mild OOC-ness… If any of this bothers you then you have the option of not reading.
> 
> Music: “Wanderlust” by NΣΣT
> 
> A/N: No words. I can’t think of anything other than I’m trash :|enjoy! 8D

In retrospect, the world was a small place. Japan was even smaller compared to the rest of the globe if you were to ask Yamazaki Sousuke. As much as he tried not to be surprised by the turn of events he now found himself in, it still didn't deter Sousuke from feeling discomforted by the fact that Nanase Haruka was the nude model for his figure drawing class.

It was one thing to see the girl in a swimsuit during competition , but to see her completely stripped down to absolutely nothing and standing stark naked as the day she was born, was another thing entirely. There was no way in hell Sousuke was going to tell anyone about his predicament, no way; however he couldn't very well say the same for Haruka. Did her friends even know this was her part time job? God, he couldn't even begin to consider what Rin would think. Then there was Makoto... Dear lord... He couldn’t even imagine that scenario either.

With it being the first day of class, there was still time to drop it, Sousuke was quite sure. However, there was also the fact that he still had two hours left to endure before he could do that. Two hours of painful drawing time spent on capturing the image of Nanase Haruka on his drawing pad.

The moment she had walked into the room, Sousuke made sure to duck his head and avoid eye contact with her as much as possible. He nearly had a heart attack, fifteen minutes in when she got up on the stage set up in the middle of the class room. And when her robe began to lower and slide off of her body to expose her pale skin hidden underneath, he was just about ready to pass out. The practice sketches he’d done so far were horrendous and he cringed at his sorry excuse for a curved line to emphasize her hips. 

Aside from Rin, the thought of what few friends he did manage to make from his third year of high school felt like a faraway dream—Haruka included. And so to see her now in the same room as him, working as a nude model left Sousuke rather stunned if not agonizing over how much fate screwed him over once again. 

For the moment, the only comfort Sousuke found was the fact that it was currently their break time. But fifteen minutes wasn’t enough for him to find a computer to login to in order to change his schedule. Scratch that, he thought as he lowered his head even further below the top of his drawing pad to avoid Haruka’s wandering gaze around the room. He was still in the danger zone and he really hoped to whatever deity there was above that his actions went unnoticed. 

Unfortunately, fate didn’t seem to want to give Sousuke a break at all and he found himself staring up at Haruka in no less than five minutes. She looked curious, blinking a few times at him before humming shortly to herself and walking around to see what he had drawn so far.

Sousuke did his best not to take notice of how loosely the robe was tied around her waist. But as she stood next to him, leaning forward to inspect his work, he inhaled sharply at the sight of her exposed cleavage hanging out for the whole room to see. 

"The foreshortening is a little warped here." Haruka said, pointing at the section. 

When she turned to him, Sousuke stiffened considerably. "I-it's not easy drawing the kind of position you were in..." He mumbled.

"Oh? Well I guess you do have the short end of the stick." 

"Y-yeah..."

“Would it help you more if I were to face you during the forty minute drawing?” She suddenly asked. “You’ll be able to avoid drawing my body at an angle like you were here.”

Sousuke didn’t know if whether he should be grateful or mortified at having to stare at the girl directly in the face. “Would you really do that?” Headshots were easy, but considering how familiar they were back in the day, Sousuke wasn’t quite sure how well he could handle it. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked anything at all, he groaned inwardly. 

Haruka however nodded, obvious to his uneasiness. “It isn’t troublesome for me so I don’t mind.”

“But still…”

“If you need any help, I’ll be more than happy to assist you during my off hours.” She added before he could finish his sentence.

Again Sousuke found himself caught off guard by her persistence, which was something he was definitely not used to experiencing considering her normal character. Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked around the room briefly to avoid her gaze, if only a little. “That’s okay, you don’t have to go that far for me because I’m going to drop this class.”

This time Haruka’s eyes widened. “Oh? Why is that?”

The girl looked genuinely surprised by his answer, Sousuke was sure of it despite the way her eyes returned to its normal deadpanned gaze a moment later. Still, he didn’t allow Haruka’s reaction to sway his decision (or at least he was trying not to let it). Quickly, he came up with a reply, most of it mumbled since improvising on the spot was not his forte. “It just feels like with the amount of work needed to be done for this class, I may not be able to make time for it since my schedule this semester is pretty extensive, considering the kind of courses I have.”

With his gaze led astray and the lack of confidence behind his words, Haruka looked more than unconvinced by his sorry excuse for dropping the drawing class and frowned deeply at him as a result. Her expression baffled Sousuke considerably as well and watching her walk away from him in silence, he thought it strange that her disappointment was making him feel ashamed suddenly.

When the class resumed its drawing session and entered the forty minute drawing portion of the lesson, Sousuke was perplexed by Haruka’s pose when she sat down on the platform suddenly. Keeping her word, Haruka gave him a side profile—a relatively easy position to draw if you were to ask him. After his confession of dropping the class minutes ago, Sousuke had been half convinced that Haruka wouldn’t bother him on the matter but by following through and giving him this chance he almost hated the fact that he was starting to have second thoughts if Haruka was adamant about helping him.

As Sousuke sat in silence, pressing his charcoal gently against the paper and adding one line after another, his eyes flickered up at Haruka every so often. He was still embarrassed by her nudity, he couldn’t lie but the look of deep contemplation and ease that Haruka wore left Sousuke a little breathless. She was leaving herself bare for everyone in the room and for the moment, he could no longer think of her as the water obsessed girl he knew her as. She was more than that, he began to realize and he put his all in capturing her image—thickening lines where the shadows were most intense and lightly smudging away other parts to indicate where the light hit her form at an angle. 

Sousuke didn’t consider himself the most artistic person but for some reason, drawing Haruka under these circumstances pushed him in a way that almost reminded him of swimming, he supposed. Maybe it was the thrill or need to prove himself worthy of being able to do it? He wasn’t sure but drawing her complex character was at the forefront of his mind and he wanted to see her for who she really was underneath the persona he’d already created of her in his mind. She was more than that, she always was—he just hadn’t taken the time to see it before, Sousuke comprehended with a frown. 

When the class finished and Haruka finally stood up from her pose and stretched out her stiff muscles after sitting still for so long, Sousuke took a step back from his drawing. The image was smudgy in some places but there were other areas where the lines were more pronounced and solidified Haruka’s form on the paper best. He didn’t think it was terrible but it also wasn’t hyper realism either. 

Still staring at his drawing, Haruka came up from behind Sousuke quietly and eyed the piece up and down herself as she adjusted her robe. She’d glanced at the other students’ drawings briefly, her interest in them average at best however, the way Sousuke captured her was much different compared to everyone else and it left her frozen in place as she stared intently at the charcoal drawing. “You know, this is a lot better than your drawings from the beginning of the class.”

Sousuke looked over his shoulder, smiling gently at her for once. “You think so?” 

Pulling the robe closer to her, Haruka nodded her head in agreement. “I know so because it feels like you’re really looking at me for who I am through your own lens and not from the perspective of others.” She explained; her voice soft. 

It was the first time that Sousuke had ever seen Haruka act so timidly before—like a young doe. It was such a contrast to her usual calm and collective appearance and yet he felt like it was refreshing to be able to witness this side to her. 

“Are you sure that you’re going to drop the class?” She asked after a long moment of silence between them. “Even though there is room for improvement, I believe you can do it if you put your mind to it…”

The encouragement in her words struck Sousuke. Did he want to stay? “To be honest, I’m not sure.” He admitted, finally turning away to begin packing up his things. 

When Sousuke flipped the drawing pad closed, Haruka frowned and her eyes began to follow his movements as he shoved whatever he could into his backpack. “Why not?” She couldn’t help but inquire and Sousuke bit his lower lip.

Sweeping his gaze around the room, Sousuke finally noticed that they were two of a handful of stragglers still left and if they conversed any longer, they’d be the very last individuals left in the room. Moving even faster now, he slung his backpack over his good shoulder and made a grab for his drawing pad next but Haruka, it seemed had other ideas and swiped it before he could. 

Holding Sousuke’s drawing pad close to her, she narrowed her eyes at the taller male. “You’re being rather troublesome, don’t you think?”

Haruka’s childish behavior instantly made Sousuke glare back at her. “Excuse me? Why don’t you take a good look in the mirror yourself?” 

“I don’t have to.” She replied, taking his drawing pad hostage and walking around behind the partition where Sousuke was certain her clothes were waiting for her. 

He could leave without his drawings. They were useless at this point if he was serious about dropping the class and yet the thought of letting them go didn’t settle well with Sousuke and so he crossed his arms angrily with an irritated grunt. 

When Haruka returned, dressed in a gray oversized sweater with black leggings underneath and a pair of dark boots to match only then did Sousuke finally give her an answer. “Look, I’m dropping the class because it’s just not for me.”

Haruka of course looked even more skeptical than before. “I find that quite difficult to believe.” Under her arm, she held his drawing pad securely and when Sousuke moved to try and pry it from her grip, Haruka gave him a hard glare.

“It’s the truth.” He insisted. 

His words only served to deepen Haruka’s frown even further. As she continued to glare at him however, Haruka thought back to Sousuke’s serene expression minutes ago, how proud he looked at having finished the drawing of her. It was a long shot but she didn’t see why not to give a try anyways. “Or maybe you just enjoyed drawing me, am I right?”

Well shit, Sousuke thought as his eyes widened. “Where did you get an idea like that?!”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Haruka replied, looking away smugly and she heard Sousuke growl at her. “However, if it is just me, I don’t mind doing private sessions with you either if that’s what you want...” She added, once more catching him off guard.

What was with her today? Sousuke wondered. Was she always this annoying? This weird?...

Still flustered by her earlier remarks, Sousuke huffed, clearly bothered by her approaches. “You’re just asking for it aren’t you, Haru?”

“Who knows, Sousuke.” Haruka replied, her eyes glittering mischievously.

  
X

X  


Despite the amount of teasing and guilt trips he received, Sousuke went ahead and dropped his drawing class anyways. Haruka continued her job as a nude model but on top of that, she managed to persuade Sousuke into continuing his drawing lesson’s with her. He didn’t even remember how he got roped into doing it and although a part of him told him to stop, the other half was set against the notion and did what he was told—and that was to draw Haruka.

She made spontaneous appearances—too frequently actually and after a month of finding her always waiting for him, sitting against his door like a lost child, Sousuke had gotten tired of the sight to the point of finally giving her a copy of his apartment key. 

“Are you sure about this?” She asked, sliding the key onto her lanyard. Once it was secure, she tugged on it a few times before letting it go, her eyes still staring at it with interest. 

“It’s fine.” Sousuke grumbled in reply, going to his kitchen in search of a water bottle in the fridge. “Besides, it means I get asked less questions by the neighbors about the girl who’s always waiting for me to open the door…”

And speaking of neighbors, one old lady in particular left a bad taste in his mouth after scolding him the week before for being irresponsible for making Haruka wait for nearly an hour for him to come back. He could remember the woman’s words clearly and even now it sent quivers up Sousuke’s spine. Still, it made him think quite a bit afterwards, and turning around, he watched quietly as Haruka continued to dangle her new key in front of her. The soft smile she wore as she tapped the object gently sent butterflies dancing in his stomach and he was quick to look back down into the fridge where a pack of mackerel could be seen defrosting on a plate next to the milk carton. 

What in the world was happening? He wondered, taking the mackerel out and setting it down on his counter before he went in search of a pan.

  
X

X  


Now that Haruka had the key to his apartment, Sousuke realized only after the first week just how often she really spent time with him at his apartment.

Mackerel had definitely become a common sight in his fridge and when spare clothes were seen being shoved into a corner of his closet and a dolphin plush appeared on his couch, he really began to wonder then just how their rocky relationship began to sail so smoothly all of a sudden. Five to four days out of the week was spent in each other’s company whenever they weren’t busy and Sousuke was almost peeved to discover that she actually lived in an apartment less than ten minutes away from him. So it was no wonder why she swung by whenever she pleased. 

And don’t get Sousuke started on becoming her most recent guinea pig for her cooking assignments. The amount of pride he had to swallow down due to his inability to say no to her food was outrageous. But on the upside, he had very little to worry about when it came to getting a meal. 

Still, the amount of time they spent together made Sousuke think an awful lot and when he came to the conclusion that they may very well be dating at this point, he knew he needed to clear things up.

  
X

X  


“Why are we doing this?”

“Why haven’t you bothered stopping then?”

Sousuke made a disgruntled noise at the other’s reply, lowering his drawing pad just slightly to glare down at the woman sprawled out on her back on his living room floor. Her expression was still passive as ever if not bearing the smallest hints of seduction behind her shimmering blue eyes and Sousuke really hated to admit that the white sheet draped across her chest and lower half reminded him of a Greek goddess. 

“I don’t mean the drawing…” He finally said, placing the drawing pad down at his feet. 

Blinking up curiously at him, Haruka slowly sat up but held the sheet securely against her chest. “What do you mean then?”

“I mean us.”

“What about us?”

“Just what is it we’re doing, exactly?” Sousuke asked seriously, giving her a pointed stare. “Have you ever once taken the time to evaluate what we’ve become?”

Haruka replayed the words in her head. It took some time but eventually she came to a similar understanding and looked down at the ground until her gaze fell on the drawing that’d been sketched moments ago. “Oh.” 

Sousuke sighed. “Is that all you really have to say?” 

“No, it isn’t.” She replied. “But, I don’t mind if you want to take whatever it is we have further.”

“You mean enter a relationship, right?” 

To this Haruka nodded her head. Sousuke gaped long and hard at the young woman’s silent response and before long his lips stretched out into a grin and he began to laugh. 

The sight of Sousuke finding any of this funny didn’t settle well with Haruka at all. In fact, she was downright fuming now. Getting up, she dragged the sheet along with her and no sooner plopped herself down on Sousuke’s lap, her arms snaking around his neck. Instantly, Sousuke’s laughter came to a stop and although Haruka glared, she also couldn’t help but let herself smirk slightly at her moment of victory.

“Not laughing now, are you?” She asked, her voice amused.

Unconsciously, Sousuke placed his hands on her hips. It made Haruka gasp lightly, feeling his touch graze her skin but she kept her eyes on him despite it as her cheeks began to flush. “So, this is how it is, huh?” 

“Yeah, I think so…” Haruka replied. 

“Are you sure?”

“About what? Us?”

Sousuke rolled his eyes. “Well, what else would I be talking about?”

“Touché.” Haruka grinned, pulling her body closer to him. 

“Well, what’s it going to be? Do you want to give whatever this is a try?”

“Sure.” She said, and like all other times, Haruka made sure to be the first to surprise both of them as she pressed their lips together. 

X

X

OMAKE

Sousuke had just finished taking a shower. Upon returning to his bedroom, he found Haruka lying on his bed and dressed in one of his shirts. It was huge on her, the way it hung on her small frame but Sousuke rather liked how it looked on her. Toweling down his hair, he walked over and sat himself down on the mattress next to her. The impact made her bounce a little on the bed but Haruka remained unresponsive to his arrival, her attention drawn to a new cookbook she’d purchase the other day. 

He should probably wait, Sousuke told himself. He really, really should but the timing was perfect—or at least that’s what he thought. Taking a deep breath, Sousuke took the risk and with confidence wiggled the book out of Haruka’s grasp. Once it was gone and placed on the bedside table, he was met with a fierce look, one that he’d since grown quite used to.

Well, here goes nothing, Sousuke thought as he quickly cleared his throat. "So, uh, since you’re always here, I think we should move in together." There, he said it!

“For real?”

“Yeah, have you ever kept track of how many days a week you spend the night here?” He asked, quirking a brow.

Haruka began fiddling with her fingers. “I thought it was because you like having me here.” 

“And I do, which is why I’m asking you to move in with me.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Haruka…”

Hearing the sound of annoyance laced in Sousuke’s voice, Haruka couldn’t help herself from smiling and in the moment she surprised him by pinning him down flat on his back. Hovering above him, she then moved to his kiss cheek and she heard him sigh contently (or rather relieved). "Yes I’ll move in with you. Happy now?”

"Very much so, thank you."

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Goal = short story, ten pages or less. I hit 8 pages. Mission accomplished.


End file.
